Chapter 15: A Much Needed Talk
September 22nd, 2006, 1:15am
Retroville, TX
Tap
Jimmy woke up half asleep, wondering what caused that noise. That is if there was a noise. My dream most likely deceived me into waking up, similar to hearing a doorbell. It's probably nothing. He reassured himself before closing his eyes.
Tap
Jimmy instantly opened his eyes, knowing full well this sound was real. It sounded like a pebble tapping on glass. He headed to his window to check it out. Thankfully, no major scratches were noticed. He opened his window right as a pebble was flying towards him.
"Watch out!" A shout was heard right as a pebble knocked him to the ground like a punch. Why now…? A few seconds later, he got the strength to stand back up. He cautiously saw through the window sill. He looked around the front yard from his room to see none other than Cindy scratching the back of her head nervously. Jimmy then felt annoyed but kept his volume low so his parents wouldn't wake up. "Why did you hit me?!" he asked in a half whispered voice.
"I didn't expect the window to open right as I threw another pebble!" She responded back in the same tone. "Sorry about that by the way."
"Wow, a Vortex apologizing. That's new…" Jimmy chuckled to himself.
"Don't read too much into it," she said, rolling her eyes, then her annoyed expression softened. "I need to talk about some things, preferably away from this area."
Jimmy was about to go back to sleep but he noticed something was off, so he nodded and got dressed to go. A minute later, he met up with her outside. "How far were you thinking of going?" Jimmy asked.
"Not too far, just down the street." Cindy mentioned. A few minutes of silence pass before they reach a bench to sit on. The neighborhood was quiet with the exception of various critters and the occasional car passing by. The moonlight was brighter than before, almost like a dimmer sun. It was then he got a closer look at Cindy's face. Her eyes were red and tired.
"So what did you wanna talk about?" Jimmy asked curiously.
"You remember when I hesitated to leave the island we were stranded on?" Cindy said nervously after taking a deep breath. (See "Stranded") Jimmy nodded, unsure of what to say. "Half of it was because they were some of the best memories in my life up to this point."
"They were mine too," Jimmy responded with a slight grin, reminiscing the experience that, while unexpected, would lead to the two of them growing much closer. "That was one of my favorite days."
"Aside from NASA letting you borrow their telescope," Cindy nudged his shoulder with her elbow while smirking. The two of them chuckled for a bit, but then the brief light in her face passed as quickly as it came. "There was another reason why I wanted to stay on the island, away from the grades and peer pressure. When we first arrived there, I panicked due to how angry my mom would've been for ditching school and missing the piano lesson."
"I was confused as to why that was the case when we first arrived." Jimmy pondered that.
"There's a bit more to that. What do you remember about my mom?" Cindy asked. "Be completely honest with me."
"Well…" Jimmy had to think for a second as he scratched the back of his head. "I mainly remember her pushing you to be the best. She was also friends with my mom and both were in a book club together, but I don't recall seeing her much otherwise. In fact, I'm surprised she didn't come to the Fall Festival."
"The past two or three years, my parents' marriage has been… rocky for a lack of a better word," Cindy began. "The two would argue day and night, ranging from how I should be raised to the decisions that led them here. She once went far enough to say that this marriage was wasted when she would have pursued her dreams otherwise. If it wasn't for Humphrey, I would've been entirely alone. They eventually realized I shouldn't see this at a young age, so dad would work double shifts to keep his distance and even sleep on the couch in an attempt to hide anything. Mom didn't take too kindly to that, so she took her frustration out on me. So she signed me up for Tai-Kwon-Do, piano lessons, girl scouts, etc. Mom did all this to make me the "best of the best", but you would surpass me in most of the academic aspects. I didn't mind taking additional things, since I would have less time to deal with them, but I get burnt out after a while. I could get a 99% but if you get 100%, then my mom would give me a disappointed look. She'd claim I was dishonoring the Vortex name. She always knows how to ruin my day. Until the island, I blamed you for that. For being a little bit better than me in some things. I then realized I didn't need my mom's approval to be happy. I felt free and more alive than ever. I didn't wanna leave. Even if it was accidental, you showed me a life without those chains, so thank you Jimmy." Another tear dripped down one of her eyes, to which Jimmy wiped away with his thumb.
Jimmy then looked down while still processing this information. "I'm sorry for making us leave the island, I-"
"Save it." CIndy motioned him to stop while trying to not shed another tear. "I wanted to stay, but it wasn't practical. You didn't know, nor did I want you to know until tonight."
"What happened?" Jimmy asked as he grabbed her hand. Cindy was shocked at first but then accepted it as she went on.
"While we were out dancing and having a good time, they were arguing louder than ever. Upon seeing that as I walked in, I saw that I carried on similar kinds of debates with you all the time with similar emotion. They didn't even notice me walking upstairs or overhearing them talking about separating. If that happens, all I know is that my life wouldn't go anywhere good."
"I had no idea any of this happened." Jimmy was stunned to say the least. "That does explain a lot, such as why your aunt filled in at parents day competition." (See Maximum Hugh)
Cindy lowered her head. "Yeah, you couldn't imagine how shocked I was." She then turned to him. "You know, despite your parents' antics, I can tell they truly care about you. I just wish I was raised the same way."
Jimmy didn't know what to say at the moment, though he always loved his parents and would do anything for them, even if he doesn't always listen to them. "I'm surprised this conversation isn't with Libby."
"Oh believe me, we've talked about my house life before. I just needed a place to escape from the constant fighting, and you came to mind since we're close figuratively and literally." She started to chuckle.
"Well I'm just a lab away if you ever need to escape somewhere," Jimmy grinned. "I just wish I could do more to help."
"Unfortunately "boy geniuses" can't fix marriage issues, but I appreciate the thought." Cindy chuckled a bit. They both sat there in silence for a few minutes until one thought, one question entered both of their minds.
Jimmy then decided to speak it. "What are we?"
"Huh?" Cindy snapped out of her daze.
"One day we're at each other's throats about basically anything, and the next we're close friends and now…" Jimmy trailed off.
"Hmm," Cindy thought it over. "Honestly that's something I'm unsure about. I guess I was coasting along ever since the island. From the distractions on Mars, to playing footsie in the library, the kiss in the alleyway…"
"And now the dance." Jimmy finished the sentence. "Despite me being a genius, romance is admittedly new territory for me. The best I come up with are usually moments in movies."
"Romance? So you LIKE me then?" Cindy teased. Jimmy looked at her and expected a snarky expression to match the tone, but what he saw was a face that looked sad and genuine, longing for an answer.
"I… I do," Jimmy admitted quietly, but it was loud enough for her to hear. Then he gradually grew more confident. "Even at your worst, you kept me on my feet, which subsequently motivated me to come up with the next best invention. For a while, I saw you as my rival. A worthy adversary. Then as time went on, we'd go on various adventures together. Once we were on the island, I saw you as more than just a rival. You were someone I could do more than compete with. We could hang out, go places and just have a good time together. The idea of wanting to be with Betty gradually faded and you took her place, this time without 976/J's influence. I was confused at first, but various memories would pop up and it all makes sense. So yes, I do like you Cindy. I'm just nervous as to what the next step is."
Things were silent for a few seconds. She didn't say anything, but she didn't pull her hand away either. Then she started to chuckle, which then grew to a full on laugh.
"What?!" Jimmy was annoyed that this would be the reaction. He then turned his head down "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything…"
"Oh take it easy, will ya?" Cindy smiled at him and they locked eyes. "It's just ironic since you say you're not an expert at this, yet I couldn't have said it better myself. Because I've always liked you Jimmy. I just wish I wasn't so hard on you all these years."
"No, I completely understand why now." Jimmy reassured her.
"So, what're you prepared to do about it?" Cindy asked him. This question was the same one she asked when he was under the love potion's effect and he knew that too.
"With everything going on, I'm not entirely sure if now's the right time, but let's see where we are after the Fall Festival and go from there. Is that okay?" Jimmy asked.
"Sounds good to me," Cindy smiled back. They both hugged and would cuddle for a bit. They knew that they had to be home soon to get enough sleep for the night, but they wanted to cherish this moment for as long as they could.
To Be Continued...
